The Words' Step
by Renhoa0.0
Summary: All the world's a stage—Shakespeare. In the middle of catching a dream and leaving everything she loved behind, Tiara met that one man who will make and break her. All the word's a step and this was her story written and crumbling down. TykiOC. TykixOc. Tyki x OC.
1. To Be or Not To Be

**Hi. Ren here. **Again, this is the first chapter of The Word's Step. This is betaread by PshhAnonymous. I hope you read and review.

**Disclaimer (for the rest of the fic): **I do not own DGM and the Shakespearean quotes. I do own Tiara Craile. :D

* * *

**The Words' Step**

**Chapter 1. To be Or Not to be**

Kanda was not one for verbal confrontations, nor did he enjoy talking with anyone at all. But as he stood in the theater, he knew he could not avoid this discussion any longer. What with her just sitting there looking so forlorn.

"_To be or not to be, that is the question."_

The words resounded in his head as if they were mocking him. He twitched, suddenly debating on whether to disturb her concentration, as she took every action the actor made on the stage before them. Nevertheless, without bothering to take a deep breath, he just stepped forward.

"You're here," He spoke without a shaking voice, effectively hiding his inner turmoil. Blue eyes glanced at him for a moment before they returned upfront and she smiled a breath taking smile, the same smile she had always used.

"Have you been looking for me?" She asked as she placed a small lock of her ginger hair behind her ears. _As if it wasn't obvious_, Kanda thought as he suddenly felt the tiredness and the beads of sweat rolling down his skin as he glared at her.

She didn't reply, and merely giggled, and instantly he knew she was in one of those moods, the playful one to be precise. And so he took the empty seat beside her, just by the aisle, the seat she must've reserved for him, knowing he would arrive, maybe also dreading the conversation that was sure to come when he did.

"Your brother's looking for you." Kanda informed, as if it wasn't important at all.

"I expected that," Silence followed but he didn't know how to cut the tension.

How was he going to tell her without getting her mad? Or worse, even _hate_ him for leaving her? How could he have known they would have to save goodbye so soon? Kanda didn't know what to do, because he had never been the type to care for another. He didn't know, and honestly didn't care much, but at the very least he wanted to part on better terms.

"What is it?" She asked, breaking him from his internal debate. This probably was it, the beginning, as cliché as it sounds, of the end. Because it _was _indeedthe beginning of the end.

"I'm…" He started, feeling a bit nervous and gulping. "I'm taking Business Management."

He paused and softly, as if talking to a child, attempting to make her understand, he informed the younger woman, "At Central University, in America."

He looked forward, a little scared of what was to come, but not as much as before because the moment she had asked, he knew that she understood what was happening even before he had arrived. She understood that he couldn't stay there forever, supporting her. She'd have to rely on her brother a little bit more, even though she hated doing that.

"I see. Good luck, Kanda." She smiled the same smile she had always worn. Kanda felt a bit guilty for leaving her because even if they were going to part, she was still like the little sister that he never had, and he would always be the brother that supported her dream.

"Yeah. To you too, Tiara," was his silent reply as he let her hold on to his right hand.

"_O fair Ophelia, nymph in thy orisons. Be all my sins remembered."_

* * *

"What are these for?" Kanda asked, annoyed at the pile of gifts that towered before him and the smiling ginger and redhead behind it.

Lavi shook his head and Kanda couldn't have been surer that the stupid rabbit's eye—the one that was covered with an eye patch—was gleaming with glee and mischief behind those sunglasses.

"Silly Kanda," The redhead replied smoothly. "These," he said motioning to the _pink_ tower of gifts, "—are Tiara's farewell gifts to you. And these," A man clad in black appeared, pushing a trolley of red-wrapped gifts as Lavi continued his speech, which was effortlessly irritating Kanda more and more, "—are mine."

Tiara giggled heartily and Kanda directed an angry glare—which was mostly ineffective—towards her.

He shouldn't have invited these two. What possessed him, he wondered, even knowing that it would probably turn out this way if he did. But, here they were, sending him off with towering piles of farewell gifts, what with the stupid rabbit's large salary and all.

He didn't stop glaring. Lavi was still grinning. Tiara continued smiling. What a nostalgic usual scene.

Kanda directed his empty gaze towards the fool of a ginger and clicked his tongue before walking away towards his gate, leaving the siblings each with different questions in their head.

_What was that stare for?_

_Why did you leave me, Kanda?_

* * *

Chatter, chatter, and chatter. Every day was filled with pointless chatter.

Every day, since Kanda left, was boring and empty. Everything seemed pointless and unnecessary, and soon she lost all the 'friends' she made. No, she didn't lose them per say, but rather left them, finding them unworthy of her time and efforts.

Chatter, chatter, chatter. Irritating and empty.

"Hey, did you know-?" One of the many people surrounding her started, and that was the final straw.

Slamming her hand on her table, the class was silenced, and she stared at them with empty blue eyes. Seconds passed before she cleared her throat and, as cool as she could, she walked out of the room, irritated and empty. Empty and irritated.

No Kanda. No Lavi.

It was pointless. She could never be content in a life like this. Constantly following the same pattern each day, she was _so _sick of it. She wanted more, something much bigger, something to make her feel alive.

"Hey, did you hear about Tiara-san?" A voice reached her ears and she immediately entered the nearest room.

"What about her?" Someone replied.

"I heard her brother's an actor." The first voice answered.

"That's old news. Everyone knows." And the voices disappeared.

Walking out of the room, she smiled a bitter smile.

She continued walking, heading nowhere in particular. Walk, walk, walk, and then before she knew it, she was running with no one in the hallway to neither stop her, nor yell at her.

This is why she hated chatters; they only knew how to speak of pointless things. She knew, better than anybody else, how great her brother was, how he had something to hold even when his best friend left. How Lavi could smile brightly while he waved Kanda goodbye and she could only smile, thinking bitterly to herself.

Lavi Bookman, hot and handsome actor, was a brother like no other. He could do everything he set his mind to, and he was famous with everyone. Smart and absolutely handsome, the perfect guy, so how could Tiara even compare to such a great guy?

She just couldn't. Because she could never move on like him. Because she was always the one stuck in a dark bitter cage, with no direction in mind.

Tired with realization, she stopped in front of a room, eyes wide in surprise at her conclusion. She was stuck, that probably was it. And she laughed, she laughed in that empty hall as if she was crazy. Crazier than she had ever been.

Looking up, her eyes trailed to the sign that was just above the door. She huffed and smiled. What an unbelievable place to end up at.

There _was_ something she could hold unto. There was still something that could keep her from living this meaningless life. Something she knew she could reach with just a flex of her hand. It was just a matter of moving forward.

But, she was supposed to have given it up years ago when her brother talked to her, gave her that look that she would never forget. That day, she promised to herself he wouldn't let herself even _think _about it. Though right now, what else was there? What else could pave a way for her to take?

And so, Tiara stood straight with a bright smile on her face and entered the drama club's room, with the intention of grabbing that something.

At seventeen, Tiara Bookman wanted to be an actress.

* * *

"And that's a wrap," the director announced as Lavi got off the set, already dialing a number he had memorized well.

One ring, two rings, on the third, she answered.

"Hey," Tiara said from the other line, and Lavi smiled as his manager neared him and they headed out of the studio for the next job.

"How was school?" He asked like he always did, and the conversation went on just like always. The call only ended once he arrived at his photo shoot, and he bid her goodbye with a promise of an expensive dinner soon.

"Was that your sister again, Lavi?" The photographer asked, probably curious at his happy mood, like always.

Lavi grinned and reached over to ruffle his white hair, annoying the younger of the two a lot, "Yeah, but you're too sma—haha—young for her, beansprout."

"Allen." The white-haired boy corrected, pulling away from the actor's hand and walking towards the set, giving some more instructions for Lavi's photo shoot.

Lavi's smile vanished and he stared hard at the phone.

Things hadn't been better between him and Tiara since Kanda left. Even worse, it grew stiff and awkward with no Kanda to act as a buffer. The girl was becoming more and more stoic by the second, what with nothing much to do other than study.

He sighed, feeling tired and annoyed.

It was no secret that the Lavi Bookman was a famous star who had too much on his plate. Modeling, commercials, TV series, and movies; he did them all. And so, he rarely had time to spend with his sister, because he knew that he could rely on Kanda to take care of her.

And now, with Kanda gone, he thought he'd be able to stand there beside her, giving her more time. He even declined a number of offers just so he could, but things weren't going favorably well with her, as if he was dead to her.

Because when Kanda left, he took with him the part of her that was alive.

* * *

One step, two steps, Tiara continued pacing by the living room of their condominium unit, waiting for the phone call of a century. She passed the required papers for the screening two days ago, and each day that passed with no announcement of congratulations made her giddier and sadder. And with every second, she grew more nervous. Keeping a secret from your only relative tends to do that to you.

She was terrified of his angry and hurt expression; even the mere thought of Lavi feeling betrayed dissolved her every resolve, but she needed to do it. It was the only thing that could keep her from going insane.

And so, every moment that came and went, she grew more afraid that he'd find out.

"What are you pacing about?" Tiara jumped visibly and she turned, finding the subject of her worries with a tired expression on his face. He removed the band on his hair, and sat down on the sofa just beside where she stood.

"Nothing." She replied and smiled, walking towards the kitchen and back, handing her older brother a glass of water and sitting beside him. "How was work?"

"Tiring," He commented, "I think Allen was pissed at me."

She rolled her eyes, "Again."

And there was the silence. It seemed to always visit them at random times; it wasn't funny at all. Because every silence that took over stole what little closeness they had.

"Tiara," He started and they stared at each other, staying like that for a while.

Many things ran through Tiara's head. Like how she did not look anything like Lavi, and how Lavi was always better at anything they did. A redhead and a ginger; one green eyed, one with blue. It probably was no surprise that the only similarity they had was annoying the heck out of Kanda.

"You won't leave me, right?" Lavi questioned, as he continued to stare blankly, probably analyzing every expression that crossed her face. He was like that, always thinking and profiling everything as if they were all just pieces of data to be remembered, not treasured.

She smiled and nodded, not giving a reply.

Once again, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep her previous promise. And again, she would be betraying him.

* * *

Komui Lee was never a thorough man and so, most of the time, he left the background screening to his wonderful assistant, Reveer Wenhamm. But unfortunately for him, the man was down with flu and the work had been left undone.

Pouting, mostly from missing his sister abroad, he browsed through the pile of requirements, looking over profiles of those who wanted to audition for this season, mostly for the sole reason of encountering their biggest talent, Lavi Bookman. Sighing for the nth time since he started, quickly finishing another set, leaving just a few.

That's when he laid his eyes on a particularly interesting name. He read through profile, with no expression, serious for once, knowing that someone wouldn't be happy if this leaked out.

"Sir Komui," the lady by the reception addressed him, "A call from Lenalee-san." He immediately perked up and headed for the phone, answering with great glee.

"Lenalee!" He beamed, "How's America treating you? And about that guy…" With that, Komui Lee walked away to get coffee for what was sure to be a long phone call, leaving the final stack of papers on his messy table, one particular application atop the finished pile.

Tiara Bookman: Screening Passed.

* * *

So, how was it? Please tell me.


	2. Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On

**Ren once again. **The previous chapter two was deleted and edited. Thanks PshhAnonymous for betareading. :D Anyways. Please do enjoy.

* * *

**The Words' Step**

**Chapter 2. Such Stuff as Dreams are Made on**

When the call ended, Tiara couldn't utter a word. She silently placed the phone back and her body slid onto the floor with no energy left from the shock. The moment she heard that one word, she blanked out and the information they gave her was but a passing thought.

"_Congratulations, you are…" _

She immediately blinked and stood up. _What an idiot_, she thought, as she remembered that she forgot to ask when the audition would be. _Great thing there's a letter coming soon_. Sighing in relief, Tiara started walking towards her room when a particular name popped in her mind.

Yu Kanda.

She needed to inform him of all the latest events. It would be a good excuse for calling him, since he told them to only call _'when it's important'_. She grinned and immediately dialed the number he gave them before he flew to America two months ago.

And as expected of Kanda, he answered within the first ring with a short and crisp, "Hello."

"Kanda, I missed you too." She greeted in a preppy manner, half-hoping it would annoy him. "So, how's your life there?"

"Fine. I'm bu—"

"I got in," She cut him off, knowing that he'd tell her he was busy. There was silence from the other side as Kanda processed the three words.

She frowned. Ever since he left, it felt like he never cared because he never made an effort to call her, and whenever she tried to call him it was either the answering machine or his girlfriend. What a bastard he had turned into within months of leaving. Maybe even way before he flew, after all, he had never told her he had been dating someone for at least half a year now.

"Got in? You mean, you…" He trailed off, unsure.

She smiled a bit, "Yeah. It's just the screening though, but you know how I act so it's quite a sure win, right? I thought I'd informed you first, you bastard."

"Tch," He replied. "Did you tell the stupid rabbit?"

She shook her head, "No. So give me courage, okay? Say hi to your girlfriend for me."

"How—" But she had already cut the call.

She smiled and opened her laptop. If she was going to be in an audition, she'd better get some practice in with the help of dear ol' Shakespeare.

* * *

America did not feel like home for Kanda Yu at all. Every day, the bustling city disturbed his peace, now more so than ever. School had just opened and here he was, stuck with a pile of requirements to be turned in by next week. Whoever said weekends were for fun? Yet, instead of doing what needed to be done, he was brooding over his recent conversation with a certain idiot of a ginger.

Knowing her, Lavi wouldn't find out unless some unnecessary factors interfered, and that was probably what was troubling him. He knew from his little conversation with Lavi that things between them haven't been exactly sweets and honey like the rabbit had hoped. With this sticky situation, pardon the pun, Tiara's ambition might just be the right trigger for Lavi to snap and destroy what little tranquility they had left.

He sighed. If things took a turn for the worst, knowing how extreme the girl was, she'd run away and be caught by some suspicious people. What a _mess_, and yet, he didn't worry much. Because with the long time they had known each other, he knew that the only thing that could stop her from getting what she wanted was Lavi's broken heart, and right now, even _that_ seemed powerless against her ambition.

_Stupid siblings_, he thought as he drank his coffee, and started typing his report.

It appeared silly to him, for them to grow apart just because of a little thing called a dream. But he wasn't one to talk, he supposed, since in the end, he left the two of them to break for his dream.

What silly things such stuff as dreams can do. What, silly, things.

* * *

Allen Walker was a good man. Everyone admired him for his selflessness. He cared for everyone, and the only scary thing about him was the fact that he's a terrifying gambler. He knew just about every trick in the book and that it in itself is an underestimation of his cheating abilities.

So, gambling problems aside, Allen was an overall great guy. He was a part-time photographer and he made good friends with the models—except when his master was around—and he was pretty much a star of his own.

That was probably why he was great friends with the very elusive Lavi Bookman. The redhead rarely makes acquaintances, and even then, they never really socialize much. In theory, Allen was one of few 'friends' of Lavi Bookman.

And as a friend, Allen thought that Lavi had to know what he had just found out. It was his master's fault for telling him anyways.

It was just like any other normal day for him. He was cleaning up the props from the finished photo shoot, when the larger redhead entered the studio without a parade of women—which was fairly unusual.

"Damned Lee," He commented as he lighted a smoke, and sat languidly on the red sofa near the entrance to their apartment. "He should know that I'd hate to work with another Bookman."

That perked Allen up, "Another Bookman?"

"Yeah. That redhead's sister. Seemed like she signed up for an audition, and there's high chance they'll pass her." And he puffed his smoke.

"But she hasn't passed yet, so why did Komui-san asked you to work with her?" Allen questioned, wondering why Lavi permitted his sister to audition, when he was so adamant that she was not to be involved with any kind of press.

"Not with a photo shoot, but with the redhead." And he poured himself a glass of wine that had been on the table across him, "Lavi Bookman doesn't know his sister's auditioning, and Komui wanted my help if anything were to happen between them."

He wondered then if his master was a psychic, because he had just answered the question which had been bugging Allen, and, decision made, the boy left the studio, dialing the actor's number, telling him they needed to meet.

* * *

When Lavi was eight, he had better things to do than play with other kids in the neighborhood. He took care of his sister, who was a year younger, and he read through the many history books at home. But now that he thought about it, maybe he just found other people to be bothersome. Only Kanda and Tiara were the important ones.

The three of them had a tight relationship, and the trust between them was no joke. It was something that bound them together.

And that was why it had hurt so much when he found out. It hadn't been intentional; Allen did not want their already soured relationship to take a turn for the worst. So, when the white-haired boy finished his tale, he just calmly smiled at him, and took the application form he had somehow gotten from Komui, bidding the boy goodbye, with every intention of questioning his sister.

As he drove, his mind wondered through the many times they had taken care of each other. How they'd always gang up on Kanda, or the times when he'd defend her from the bullies. And then there was their parents' funeral. They had held each other hands tightly, and slept beside each other. He had taken the offer for a casting the next day.

He breathed in and out before opening the door. He needed to be calm, or he might tell her things that he did not wish for her to know. A breath in and out. He opened, and entered their unit.

"Hey, you're back," She greeted happily. "I just finished making dinner, though it wasn't all that successful," She informed bashfully, and he stoically glanced at the inedible-looking dinner. She had never been one for cooking.

Lavi couldn't speak; he felt like he'd stutter with anger. And so, he just placed the paper on top of the table, and gave her a blank look. She blinked and glanced at it, her eyes widening for a second, before she turned to him, giving him the same empty look.

"I was planning on telling you—" Tiara started, "—tonight, but you're always the better one, huh?" And without another word, she walked towards her room.

Lavi closed his eyes, pushing the anger away, and as he walked towards his room, he couldn't help but glanced at the untouched dinner.

What a way to waste food.

* * *

There were no tears, only a bitter smile. She didn't feel remorseful, but rather she felt nothing. The way her brother looked at her, it didn't scare her anymore. There was no emotion filling her at all, and maybe that was pitiful.

She'd never felt emptier.

She giggled and it quickly turned into full out laughter. She did not want to cry, so she wouldn't. Picking up her resolve, she took the pink suitcase that was under her bed, and packed up all the things she'd need and saw fit. If Lavi did not want her 'sister' to be an actress, she'd just quit being his 'sister', because in the end, it was her dream that mattered. She needed that empty feeling to be filled.

It was a little past midnight when she finished packing, and at that time, she was sure that Lavi would be in his room, snoring away, or brooding over what to do next. She just needed to be a tad bit quieter since the guy was a light-sleeper. Taking one step at a time, she pulled her luggage with her as silently as she could. It wasn't much of a feat, and she eventually got out of the unit.

"I guess this is it, Lavi." She smiled at the closed door in front of her, and without another word, nor look, she walked away, heading wherever her feet would take her. And once again, she had no direction, only a compass called a dream.

* * *

Black hair, golden eyes, these were Tyki Mikk's main assets that attracted the ladies. He was a charmer, and all the girls are all just passing flings. But on this particular freezing night in Japan, Tyki was not out hunting for ladies. Rather, he was in his usual disguise: dorky glasses and work clothes with a black spandex.

It was around one in the morning, and he had merely been out for a very early walk. Japan's cold atmosphere did little to help his sleeplessness, and, rather than wasting time staring at the ceiling he took a walk, gazing at empty streets with little to no cars passing by.

That's when a particularly bright item caught his eye. Amidst the dark scenery was a pink suitcase, which stood out more than anything under this night sky. Beside it was a tired looking ginger that did not look to be much older than seventeen. He let a smirked project in his face. Sure, he wasn't out hunting tonight, but the girl was particularly cute, and she looked kind of cold. What kind of guy would he be if he did not offer her any warmth?

"Why is it so cold in Japan right now?" She complained as he neared, and he caught sight of her blue eyes.

"It is rather cold, what with summer ending and fall setting in, isn't it?" He greeted with a smile on his face. She looked skeptically up at him, what with him standing a foot taller than her. She didn't answer, and started walking away from him. Ah, the typical _'don't talk to strangers' _kind of gal.

"Do you want a place to stay? I live around the area." He offered, and she turned back at him with a frown on her face. "I'm fairly rich, despite my appearance at the moment."

She only continued to stare, that bright pink suitcase serving as her support as she leant on it. "I don't sell my body," She spoke with a serious-laced voice, "and I'm fairly ambitious."

He smirked and shrugged, "Seems like we'll get along just fine." He raised a hand in the form of handshake, "Tyki Mikk, international actor at your service."

"I recognized. I'm Tiara, Tiara Craile, wanting to be one."

_And our little life is rounded with a sleep._

* * *

And Tyki appears, ending with a shakespearean line from Shakespeares _The Tempest Act 4, scene 1. _The chapter title's from that scene too. And the chapter one's from Hamlet's To Be or Not To Be.

Read and review. :D


	3. The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

Hey everyone. Ren here and the third chapter. Enjoy. :)) Betaread by: PshhAnonymous.

* * *

**The Words' Step**

**Chapter 3. The Lady Doth Protest Too Much**

The walk towards his apartment was quiet. Tiara knew who Tyki Mikk was quite well before he spoke his name. She was quite the fan, so imagine her surprise when he talked to her while donning that ridiculous disguise. It wasn't very likable.

"Tyki-san," She started, "You have a very peculiar taste for cosplaying." He didn't reply but she saw the traces of smirk on his face and that kind of irritated her. He was toying with her, and that wasn't particularly appealing for her.

"Tia-chan, can I call you that?" He asked with that silvery voice that made her shiver. Literally.

"Whatever."

No words were spoken again as they walked. And when Tyki entered a very expensive looking building, she knew she'd expected no less. The man was richer than her brother, and that was already saying something, what with the many jobs the redhead took.

She shook her head; she needed to stop thinking about her brother.

Silent, she followed him to board the elevator. "Do others know that _the _Tyki Mikk is making residence here?"

"I like to keep my privacy," He replied with that goofy grin that suited him with his current outfit. "Why are you away from home, Tia-chan?"

She frowned, "Are we playing twenty questions now?" He shrugged. "Well, I needed to." The elevator opened and Tyki lead the way. When they reached his apartment door, she asked another question, "Can I live here until I get a place of my own?"

He opened the door with a smile, "For as long as you wish."

Tiara raised a brow at him and entered the apartment, her pink suitcase just rolling behind her. The moment she did, she regretted doing so. She couldn't have been more disappointed. The whole unit was beautifully filled with colors of red, black, and white. Across her was a very comfy looking red couch; if only there were no clothes scattered just about everywhere on it, and the floor surrounding the area.

Tyki entered with a vacant expression as if it was a usual scene and he closed the door behind him. "Seems like another woman came," He commented as he walk to the right, disappearing in a hallway where he guessed his room was, leaving her to her own devices.

She gaped at him and stood there dumbfounded, what was she supposed to do now? With no place to stay, she sat on her suitcase and just observed the condominium unit.

At the moment, she was positioned behind the couch, just a few steps away from the counter of the kitchen. Across the room, on the other side of the red velvet, was a very large LED TV with a very nice sound system surrounding it, and a DVD player placed below. The coffee table was glass and on top of it was a grey vase with a rose and a letter stuck at the bottom.

Tiara raised a brow and took the letter in her hands. On it was a very pretty handwriting of Tyki's name. She shook her head. Who said he liked to keep his privacy? He probably brings home a woman every night.

"That is mine," Tyki reappeared and took the letter from her with a smooth fluid motion.

He had apparently changed into his sleeping attire, a black pajama and white polo. That's when Tiara saw the man she knew as Tyki Mikk. Enigmatic golden eyes, tousled raven hair, his chiseled features that were hard to resist.

She looked away, refusing to be one of his many. "I was just curious."

He smirked, "With this love letter?"

She raised a brow, "It could be a _scorn _letter." She retorted as she took a step and stood beside her suitcase, "She did create this mess after all."

He gave her a blank look before he smirked and started down the opposite hallway from where he disappeared moments ago. When she didn't follow, he turned to her and gave her a look that told her to do so. She did, and once she caught up, he opened a particularly clean and plain room, the guest room.

"You can occupy this room." He said and she gave the room a look over and turned to him.

"It's clean." He raised a brow and shrugged before he left and closed the door behind him. The man was probably tired, it was early morning already after all.

She sighed exhaustedly and dropped onto the comfy bed, letting the dreams take over before the nightmares of living away from Lavi began.

* * *

When Tyki slept that night, he thought his morning would be rather nice. He felt comfy even though the memories were quite blurry from the fatigue due to the other day. But, instead of lovely sunshine, what woke Tyki up was a scream. He blinked many times before a certain familiar looking girl entered his vision. Ah, it was Tia-chan. "G'morning," He greeted as he sat up groggily.

"What are you doing here, you pervert?" She screeched, eyes wide with apprehension.

"This is _my _house, y'know. So noisy," He looked around and realized why she was being so noisy. He chuckled darkly, _such an innocent girl_. He stared at her and smirked, she was even using the pillow as a barrier; as if he'd do something to such a little child. Well, at first he wanted to, but not now.

"What are you smirking about?" She asked nervously and he merely shook his head and exited the room without giving an answer, "What was that about, you jerk?" He heard her yell as he headed for his room.

_That was some nice dream_, Tyki thought as he emerged from his room, already dressed. At the same time, Tiara came out of her room, still clothed in her attire from last night. He raised a brow, but continued to the kitchen and started cooking breakfast.

She stood across the counter, staring at him, silently. "What is it?" He asked, feeling a bit irked with the way she looked at him with those blank, blue eyes. It reminded him of a certain redhead and that was never a good thought.

"Where's the bathroom?" She asked, "And, can you make omelet?"

_Quite the spoiled princess, isn't she? _

"It's the door across your room." And she was gone as soon as Tyki took two eggs from the fridge and started cooking her requested omelet.

By the time Tyki finished cooking, Tiara had already finished bathing, and she came to stop by the entrance to the living room, across the kitchen counter. Tyki raised a brow from where he sat, drinking his blank coffee.

"Where did the clothes go?" She asked as she continued walking towards, and entered, the kitchen, sitting across him. He shrugged and continued reading the newspaper.

It was a silent breakfast and Tyki couldn't have been more contented. The girl was quiet and not a handful, maybe she'd be able to keep the house a tad bit cleaner while he was away. Though, bringing home women would probably be no-no.

"Tyki-san," She started as she finished eating, "Don't you think we should set some house rules?" He didn't reply but settled the newspaper on the table and took another sip off his cup, looking at her and signaling for her to continue. "Like, rule one, no kissing."

"Hmmm, that's fine. Rule two, I can bring home women." He replied.

She frowned, "Sure, but please don't let me see you doing it. That would scar me for life."

"Ah, you're still a child." He commented and when she twitched, he couldn't help but smirk. The girl wasn't as cool as he thought. He'd surely have fun playing with her.

After a moment's silence, she stood up and retorted, "And you're an old man." And Tyki was left twitching with the last view of her smirking at him.

On second thought, he'd probably break every part of her.

* * *

Breathe in, breathe out.

Tiara continued to chant as she stood in front of the building where the audition was supposed to take place. She was glad it wasn't in the main building where she'd surely meet Lavi. Now, _that_ would cause _very_ large problems, considering it hadn't even been a day since she left.

With another breath, she stepped in through the automatic glass doors and was directed by the receptionist to where the auditions would take place. As she waited for the appointed time to come, she thought of the few moments before she left Tyki Mikk's residence.

"_You're going out?" He asked as he sat on the couch._

"_Yeah," She replied as she fixed her shoes, "Today's the audition." _

_He hummed and switched on the TV, "Good luck then. I'll be out drinking tonight so take this," He said as he walked towards her, and handed her a key and a piece of paper where a telephone number was written. "Make sure you lock the door at night." And he sat back on the couch, watching the screen before him as if he had no work to do. _

_What a peculiar actor_, Tiara thought, as she stared at the pocket where she placed the key, the paper safe in her pocket. He wasn't like her brother at all, provided Lavi was _way _too serious with everything he did. He acted like he had no job even if she was sure the guy probably had mountains of offers for him because of the limited time he would be staying in Japan.

It was around four months ago, if she remembered correctly, when Tyki Mikk arrived in Japan for a yearlong contract. It caused quite the stir over the whole country the day that his private jet landed on Japanese soil.

"Miss Bookman," The lady in front of her smiled as she called her last named softly, just so that the others didn't hear. Tiara stood up, getting ready for the test that was to come. If her practices paid off well, this would be a piece of cake. Maybe she was being arrogant but with a Yu Kanda as your guardian, you can't help but be a bit of smug.

Entering the room, she was greeted by the sight of two people: a stern looking lady and the general manager who she met way back. She remembered being introduced to the guy when she visited Lavi once because she was near the area. It was the 'sister-complexed' (as Lavi told her) general manager, Komui Lee, brother to the famous Chinese actress Lenalee Lee.

"Good morning, Tiara-chan." He greeted with a smile.

"Tiara Craile, from now on if you do not mind." She replied boldly, "I don't want my relationship with Lavi to affect my audition."

"Then, Miss Craile," The lady spoke with a demanding voice, "Please act out for us an orphan girl left behind by her sibling because of a dream."

Tiara blinked and smiled forlornly at the instruction. They were playing her for a fool. She should have known that she'd always be in Lavi's—her brother's—shadow. Just this situational acting was pretty much evidence of how much they wanted her to understand how Lavi must be feeling right now. In the end, he _was _their top star. She should have expected as much.

She took in a breath. This was no time to be thinking about Lavi. From now on, this would be her new beginning, without Lavi, and away from his shadow.

And so, without a word, she bowed and started.

* * *

Lavi had always been against the idea of his sister becoming an actress even though, from what Komui had heard, she had been taking lead roles when she was in her middle-school.

That was one of the reasons why Komui Lee sat on his chair, excited and a bit giddy about what the girl would do. Or maybe, he just wanted to understand the siblings a bit better.

When Tiara entered though, he knew something had changed between the two. She looked less enthusiastic than the last time he saw her, but he guessed it was only natural after hearing the news from Lavi that she had run away.

Brigitte Fey looked unhappy beside him. She was displeased with the idea of working with another Bookman. The Bookman, they weren't very well-liked in the industry especially with their rather large background that seemed to always attract the attention of the paparazzi.

"Then, Miss Craile, please act out for us an orphan girl left behind by her sibling because of a dream." Brigitte instructed and there was a moment of silence before Tiara bowed and started.

For a moment, she just stood there with a blank look on her face. Then, she smiled but the smile didn't particularly reach her eyes. Rather than the bright smile she had given Komui years ago, it felt more like a bitter smile, he realized. He just watched, expecting for something bigger to happen and then, she looked at them and Komui understood. She was trying to portray what Lavi's reaction would be, as Brigitte Fey indirectly instructed.

To Tiara, this probably wasn't much of a challenge. The girl understood her brother well enough. Lavi Bookman, as smart as he is, probably knew that this day would come. The day when she'll leave him for her dream.

Komui smiled as she spoke a single line, "So, it ended, huh."

Once those words were out of her mouth, relief seemed to flood her eyes and she bowed, rising with a smile—the first he saw that reached her eyes, "Thank you," and she placed a small piece of paper on the table, "This is my new contact number."

"Thank you too, Tiara-chan." He replied with a soft smile. And she exited the room, knowing there was nothing left but the results.

"So, how was she?" He whispered to the lady beside her

"Fine, I guess."

At that moment, just for a bit, Komui understood why Lavi was worried about his little treasure entering the business.

* * *

When Tyki had said he would be out drinking, he didn't expect that he wouldn't get to drink at all. In fact, he had been positive he would have been the drunken one tonight. That was why, when he entered the bar, he was surprised to see a certain redhead passed out by the counter, and was obviously around his fifth glass. He somehow wondered where this guy's buffer was. If he remembered well, it was a long-haired guy who swallowed the world's sorrow, what with that everlasting frown on his face.

"What has gotten into you, Mr. Lavi Bookman?" He inquired with a smirk as he slipped in the seat beside the rabbit. As expected, there was no reply and he sighed, still amused by the kid. From the long experience of drinking with him, he knew that the reason probably involved his sister, the one who he hadn't met.

He blinked. _Maybe I'll get to meet the Lavi-killer today,_ he thought, and smirked as he carried the half-dead actor to his car and drove towards the redhead's residence with the very intention of 'getting-to-know' the enigmatic sister of this secretly sis-con of an actor.

"Hey, Lavi," He whispered as he stood in front of the condo, "If you don't wake up now, your sister will be mine to take."

"You won't meet her," The redhead slurred and Tyki raised his brow before shrugging it off and entering the unit. True enough, no one appeared to be at home. The lights were out and it was obviously void of any human presence.

Tyki, disappointed and displeased, dumped his drinking-buddy on the couch and surveyed the room for any picture that will at least give him a clue of why the guy was very protective of his sister, despite how cool he appeared about it.

Lavi turned in his sleep, getting into a more comfortable position and Tyki regretted not bringing a camera for the media's copy of the drunken Lavi Bookman. Then, as he turned to continue his search, he caught sight of the only picture by a small bookshelf in the corner of the room. On it were Lavi, the long-haired buffer, and a certain blue-eyed lady he picked up the previous night.

Tyki stared back at the redhead before he left the unit with a smirk. Oh, she _really _was his for the taking.

* * *

Tiara couldn't sleep, more like she didn't _want_ to sleep. She was anxious and still wasn't used to her new bed. She thought about calling Kanda and asking him to sing her a lullaby, but that might not be smart move since she was sure that Lavi had informed him about her running away. She sighed and took another sip of the milk she managed to make and hugged her legged tightly, willing the sleeplessness to go away.

"Why are you still awake?" Tyki's voice invaded her ears and she turned just as he removed his shoes and sat beside her. "Can't sleep?" He asked while taking the remote and switching on the TV.

"Kind of." She replied softly, watching whatever random was on.

She then took him in. Tyki didn't look particularly interested in whatever was on but she could see that he was watching intently and judging the actors without bias. His golden eyes concentrated on the TV and for a moment, she understood how they charmed millions of women.

"What are you staring at?" He inquired with a smirk as those golden globes glanced at her. She didn't reply and instead continued staring—prompting the two of them to engage in a staring match which she, without a doubt, won. Tyki Mikk wasn't a very patient man.

"What is it like to be a famous actor?" She asked and Tyki turned to her, fully sober despite informing her that he would be out drinking.

"It's flattering and annoying." He answered, "Are we playing twenty questions again?" And it was her turn to shrug. "Then, can I kiss you?"

"Rule number one, no kissing." She replied smoothly and Tyki smirked before pulling away and directing his attention back to the show.

Tiara liked the tranquility that was building up between the two of them. It was comforting and different from the kind of silence between her and Lavi. It wasn't suffocating and even if she knew that the man was probably just trying to get into her pants, being around still felt consoling.

And she fell asleep, thinking these things to herself.

* * *

Allen Walker was not surprised when he arrived at Lavi's apartment to find the man with a crazy hangover. He acted nonchalant about it as he helped him get around the morning, seeing as how he was the only one Lavi trusted enough to look so helpless in front of.

What surprised him though was how empty the unit was. There was no trace of the sister that always made the redhead's day, or of the straight fringe from who his nickname originated from. Though, maybe he should have expected that since Lavi _did _call him for help.

He heard rumors about it yesterday—that Lavi's sister had run away—and this situation only confirmed the truth those words held. He pitied Lavi, being one of the few who actually understood why the redhead did not want his sister to get involve with the media. And maybe, he felt guilty because, even if Lavi didn't blame him, Allen understood that he was the catalyst to the current situation.

"Thanks, Allen," Lavi muttered as soon as he got out of the bath, "You might as well be my manager," He grinned but Allen knew it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"The audition was yesterday," Allen passed on the information he heard from his master even though he knew it was a touchy subject. Lavi's smile vanished, but chose not to reply and instead poured the two of them a glass of iced tea. Allen gladly took a drink.

"So, how was work yesterday? I took the rest of the day off." Lavi stated as he finished his glass and started washing the dishes.

Allen took a good look at Lavi. He gave him a _really_ good look.

For an outsider, Lavi might appear fine and still like his old regular self—dandy and teasing—with that green eye that always seem to read everybody. But to Allen, he did not look okay in any way. Below his eye (and eye patch) a great amount of bags were displayed, cause by many nights of stress and sleeplessness. His complexion was not healthy, his smile was not quite like the smiles he had whenever he spoke about his sister, and his eye lost its calculating look, leaving nothing but a blank slate.

"Lavi, your sister…" He stopped when he received an aggravated look from Lavi—one he had only seen from Lavi's shows.

"Tiara…she's gone," Lavi spoke, his voice calm yet there was a certain force to it, "She already cut ties with me. That's…what running away means."

And, as if that part of their conversation did not happen, Lavi smiled and stood up, heading out and stopping by the door, "Shall I drive you to work?"

And Allen knew Lavi Bookman would always keep on the happy façade.

* * *

It was the day after the audition and Tyki had already left for something, though she didn't quite know what. But before he did, he cooked breakfast and lunch for her after he saw the horror that was her cooking from the night before. She frowned at him for calling it 'atrocious'.

Whatever the case, Tiara was just about to heat the prepared food when the phone rang and she stopped in her tracks. Without thinking, she answered the call and the moment it ended, she couldn't help but fall to ground.

That was the state she was in when Tyki found her four hours later. When he entered, she glanced at him and, even then, she couldn't believe the words that escaped her lips.

"I'm gonna be an actress."

* * *

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